Gage for paring hat-brims



No. 554,979. Patented Feb. 18, 1896.

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UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM BRADLEY, OF STOCKPORT, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY I-IER- BERT TURNER, ALBERT TURNER, AND ARNOLD TURNER, OF DANBURY,

CONN EOTIOUT.

GAGE FOR PARING HAT-BRIMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,979, dated February 18, 1896.

Application filed July 31,1894. Serial No. 519,061. (No model.) Patented in England October 13, 1893,1I- 19,247.

To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BRADLEY, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Stockport, in the county of Chester, England, have invented an Improved Gage for Paring Hat-Brims, (for which I have obtained British Patent No. 19,247, dated October 13, 1893,) of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to enable a workman who is employed in paring or cutting hat curls to perform that operation with greater accuracy and rapidity than has hitherto been possible even by the most skilled hand.

My invention will be readily understood from the following description on reference to the accompanying drawings, on Which Figure 1 is a transverse section of my improved apparatus, and Fig. 2 a plan of the same.

The invention consists of a curved strip a, of india-rubber or other suitable material, capable of yielding slightly, which can be fixed or held on a table, bench, or frame I), and is provided with a raised flange (0 projecting from its surface and formed in one piece therewith and inclosing a space in the form of a halfoval, or rather more than half an oval, as seen on Fig. 2, of about the size and shape of the brim of the hat of which the curl is to be out, so that, being resilient, several different sizes of hats can be pared on the same apparatus, the rubber flange being strong enough 3 5 to resist the pressure of the cutting-tool and not to be cut thereby. For this purpose I also strengthen the edge of the flange M which is overhanging, as hereinafter described, by

a strip Ct of harder rubber or other suitable material, cemented or vulcanized to the surface of the softer rubber, as shown on Fig. 1,

or otherwise. This will not interfere with the flexibility of the curved strip a.

The flange a is undercut, and its inner and 5 overhanging edge increases in depth and width in a perfect curve corresponding with the curl desired, (see Fig. 2,) and thus the flange ct will serve both as a fence to hold the hat steady while the curl is being cut 50 and also as a templet along which a chisel, knife, or other cutting-tool may be run very rapidly, one-half of the curl being cut at one sweep of the tool, and as both sides will be cut to the same templet the curl will be of exactly the same shape on both sides of the hat.

It will be seen that by the use of my apparatus the long practice, the trained eye, and great skill required to cut the curls accurately will not be requisite.

The curved plate a is held on the bench 1) preferably bya spring-clip c, capable of yielding, as required, in all directions, but kept in place by the sliding bars or rods 0' c c and the fixed sockets or guides b b 12 This spring-clip c and its adjuncts may, however, be dispensed with.

I claim as my invention- 1. The herein-described gage for paring or cutting hat-briins, consisting of a curved strip a of such yielding and resilient material that it will fit various sizes of hats and made "in the form of rather more than half an oval, having formed in one therewith an overhanging flange of increasing in depth and width from one end to the center and then gradually decreasing in depth and width toward the other end so as to form a perfect curve, such flange yielding and returning with the strip a according to the size of the hat to be pared, substantially as set forth.

2. A curved strip a of yielding and resilient material made in the form of rather more than half an oval, having formed therewith an overhanging flange of increasing in depth 8 5 and width from one end to the center and then gradually decreasing in depth and width toward the other end, so as to form a perfect curve, the said flange being strengthened at its overhanging edge by a strip of harder mao terial cemented or Vulcanized thereto, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a curved strip a of yielding and resilient material, having made in one piece with it a flange a capable of in- 5 closing rather more than half of a hat-brim, with a table or bench b, and a spring-clip o fixed on the latter, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM BRADLEY. Witnesses:

CHARLES A. DAVIES, J. E. HUGHES. 

